Meeting the Monsters
by Themulchmeister
Summary: LA 2019: I encounter a 200 year old monster who shares his troubled past as he tries to search for acceptance in a harsh society. All is well until another monster unlike him in appearance but with a similar story of hardship shows up.


**Meeting the Monsters**

The most peculiar thing occurred to me whilst I sat at the noodle bar at Chinatown this morn'. As I was slurping my meal a most odd fellow sat upon the stool which rested next to me.

His appearance was quite unsavoury and I almost retched the contents of my dinner whilst he procured a repugnant grin. I had to look around to confirm if the figure I was next to was indeed of the mutual species. His skin was wrinkled and yellow in complexion, his hair was mopped and draped over his otherwise grotesque face which appeared to be constructed of an assortment of features from different ethnicities. His dark leather jacket was tattered and stitches riddled his body as if he had been recently been given an autopsy.

Perhaps he had escaped from the city's morgue and somehow avoided the furnace which disposes of the corpses. This man was more a collection of cadavers plastered into one being and reanimated to become a walking talking mass of wretchedness.

'Good Evening.' The thing spoke with an accent, a mixture of German, French and a hint of English.

I returned with the native tongue and greeted him. Reluctantly I shook his hand, fearing my own welfare. The man had a mighty stature and could easily dwarf the tallest man. His grip was firm and a few more seconds would have surely crushed every bone in my hands.

'How is thou on this fine eve?' He continues the conversation which I am hoping to escape from. But by now I am trapped in this strange moment.

'I am…feeling grand,' I spoke pausing between words to show my discomfort.

The thing sighed after I spoke. Curses his foul breath which reeks of rotting meat. 'Please don't tell me you are about to reject me as well.'

Not sure what he meant I asked the fellow to reflect his misfortunes.

'You won't have the time to listen; you're just like everyone else here.'

I endeavoured to prove him wrong and lent my ear to his tales. He spoke of Dr. Frankenstein, his 'creator' in Switzerland and how he was torn asunder from the moment of conception.

'When you say creator…'

'Indeed, I am man's creation. Spawned from all things evil and inherited with the flaws of the past living. I am the living dead.'

Amazed I consumed the rest of my noodles and paid the chef for a serve for my 'new friend'. The chef offered one glance and fainted immediately.

The beasts eyes secreted a milky white liquid, reminiscent of tears. I patted his shoulder reassuring him and urging him to continue his story.

'When you aren't accepted by your own father it gives rise to a vengeful person. Many a time I have tried to assimilate with your kind but pain is my only companion in these long, lonely nights.' He explained that he had traveled the ends of the Earth for the past two centuries. His quest for affection brought him here in Los Angeles and that I was so far the closest thing to a companion he has come to meet.

'Well I am humbled and saddened by this fact but my initial regard towards you has dissolved.'

We shared more tales of our misfortunes in life for hours. I felt much better after finding someone relatively more deprived than myself.

Now for the next installment of bizarreness which happened soon after. An even more odd looking fellow charged violently through the bustling crowd. He was obviously a crazed maniac as he was shouting (or cursing rather) incoherent jargon. A gentlemen attempted to restrain the man but was thrown several metres away. This maniac was clearly strong and may have been influenced by a concoction of substances but I was not one to judge. My friend and behemoth of a man rose from his seated position and brought it upon himself to attempt to settle the man down.

I pleaded for him to refrain from doing so as the man was clearly hostile but he assured me that he was no match for him. The two beasts collided in an awesome display of might and agility. My eyes danced as the two brutes clashed in mortal combat. The larger monster grappled the man from behind before the enraged man produced a fist and slammed it onto the larger monster's thigh. Briefly stunned, the man sought to end this conflict quickly and gave the monster a fine uppercut to his chin. I gasped in shock as the mandible fell away from his body. Unfazed by his missing jaw line, the monster whom I had just accepted as human was now enhancing in strength, managing to send the man several metres thought the panicking crowd. The man managed to recover and I was now doubting this person's humanity as well. Normal man could not take such a blow and recover without some for of internal injury.

The melee continued for a few more minutes but it was soon to become a stalemate between the two leviathans. Panting exhaustedly the two began to exchanged words.

'Why does thou act like this?' The jaw line deficient monster spoke.

'Why does thou attack me then?' The more humanoid monster returned.

'I had to neutralise your outburst before anyone else was injured. Why I ask does thou wish to attack innocents in an unprovoked manner?'

The man lowered his head. I could see that he had short blonde hair and fair skin, much unlike his counterpart.

'I despise these people and everything they stand for.' The statement was cold and struck me like daggers, even though I was not being addressed personally. The blonde monster noticed my presence and stared death. Not wanting to draw any more attention to myself I began busying myself with the empty noodle box but resumed attentively listening to their dialogue.

'I despise them too but we mustn't hurt them. They need pity, not punishment.'

The blonde responded. 'If you could understand my own story you would know why I wish to kill all hominids.'

The man, whom later introduced himself as Roy Batty reflected his own troubled past. He was different to the other monster in that he was much younger, not even four years old, and was designed to be physically, mentally and aesthetically superior than man. He said he was reaching his demise and sought to prolong his brief life-span. Both men consoled with each other about facing rejection from humans and from their own 'fathers'.

'Dr. Tyrell is an egocentric man who seeks a to become a deity with his creations.' Batty continued.

'My Dr. Frankenstein was exactly the same man. Only wishing to further his own needs motivated him to create this form you see now.'

'In a way you and I are one and the same.' Batty revealed exactly what I had already deduced.

'Come Batty, you should meet my…friend over here.'

I shrieked at the prospect of now associating myself with such strange creatures but part of me knew this was the right thing to do. To accept those around us for who they are in character, and not by external factors such as appearance.

Yes indeed I did encounter some weird individuals today but I am not ashamed of acquainting myself with such people. Positive nurturing and a sense of friendship was all they ever wanted and I inadvertently granted them that in the end of the day.


End file.
